ONWARD is a full-day, immersive innovation experience that brings together some of the smartest minds in business, technology, and creativity.

Gain insight into the direction our world is going and be inspired.

This event is a full-day, immersive innovation experience that brings together some of the smartest minds in business, technology, and creativity. You will hear from global experts on topics like blockchain, CX, automation, and robotics and discover how they will transform industries from agriculture and oil and gas, to healthcare and more.

Are you ready to accept the challenge?

Have you heard of the entrepreneur's dilemma?
"Maintaining friendships. Building a great company. Spending time with Family. Staying fit. Getting sleep. Pick 3."
Of those five things what would you choose? Meet Randi Zuckerberg, founder of Zuckerberg Media, best-selling author, creator of Facebook Live, and proponent of the entrepreneurs dilemma.

Lead singer of Our Lady Peace, Raine Maida is paving the way for counter-culture creators. If you're looking for creative inspo that sparks new ways to tell your business' story, this keynote is a must-see.

If you want to know about the impact of blockchain, Don Tapscott is your guy. He's also a leading authority on innovation, media, and the economic and social impact of technology and advises business and government leaders around the world.

You know what's cool? Robots. What's even more cool than that? Building your very own personal robot. DJ Sures made that possible for the masses with the creation of EZ-Robot, the world’s easiest and most powerful robot R&D, education and building platform, which enables anyone to invent and share science fiction grade robotics. He's shaking up the robotics industry and STEM education, one JD Humanoid at a time.

A self-professed 'high-level geek', Graham Sherman is on the forefront of Calgary's craft brewing movement. Scratch that. He's leading the pack. If you want to know what it takes to grow a small business with humble beginnings into an industry juggernaut, kicking ass and taking names every step of the way, then this is who you need to see.

If you've ever enjoyed a can of craft beer, there's a local Calgary business to thank for that: Cask Brewing Systems Inc. They invented micro-canning, and they're supporting brewers worldwide. So what does it take to run a global business from right here in YYC? Meet Jim Love.

Back in 2011, the first CRAFT Beer Market opened its doors in Calgary. Now they're spreading the craft beer gospel across Canada (with 6 locations and counting), and Andrew is a part of making that magic happen. He knows all about what it takes to enter a new retail market and build a community following that lasts.

What's good for the environment is good for business, and no one lives and breathes that more than Kevin Davies. He's turned the humble art of composting into an innovative business concept built on social entrepreneurship, and it's one that averages three-times annual revenue growth.

Innovate, pivot, innovate. That's the name of the game, and it's something Alfredo C. Tan knows well after his lengthy stints as an executive at Facebook and Instagram. Now as the Chief Digital and Innovation Officer for WestJet, he leads the teams responsible for transforming the WestJet guest experience across all digital channels and over the entire travel journey.

Between expeditions, Jamie founded the Out There Adventure Centre, a retail store in downtown Calgary and LiveOutThere.com. He's seen the lofty heights of business success and the crushing lows. You'll hear him share with unvarnished candour his experiences as a leader in today’s VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex & Ambiguous) business climate. Real and refreshing, his talk is most definitely not for the faint of heart, or organizations seeking to maintain the “feel good” status quo.

As the founder and CEO of J5 and the linchpin of the Calgary Chamber's growth accelerator program Ignite, John Vardalos has the inside scoop on what it takes to create new growth engines and transformation through design thinking and business model innovation.

Any business can innovate, and the Calgary Chamber's Ignite program is all about helping you to create small innovations with big results. Megan Stanley, owner of dogma training, participated in Cohort 2 of the program. At ONWARD you can hear all about how using design thinking helped her build a unique online dog training platform that helped her business go farther, faster.